Domenico calarco



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CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 19l8. 1,326,021 Patented Dec. 23,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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CANNON. APPLICATION H\LED ocnzs 19 1,326,021. Patented De0.23,1919.

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D. .CALARCO.

CANNON. I APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1918. i

" Patented Dec. 23,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

DOMENICO CALARCO, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Pffljented'ngc 23, 1919 Application filed October 25, 1918. Serial No. 259,685.

i is my purposeto provide a gun ofthe class described whereby darts and otherprojectlles may be projected through the gun barrel without the use of powder or other eX- plosive agents, thereby rendering the gun noiseless and inexpensive in operation.

It is also my purpose to provide a gun of the power projector type which'will embrace the desired features of simplicity, ef ficiency and durability and which will embody comparatively few parts and be so arranged and correlated as to reducethe possibility of disarrangement toa minimum.

With the above recited objects in view and others of a similar nature, the inven tion consists in the construction, combination and crrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my gun mounted upon a tripod.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the body of the gun.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview on the line. 3r 8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View on the line H of Fig. 2- and i Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig.- 6 is a perspective view of the projector plate or disk.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of different forms of projectiles.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view showing a modified construction of gun, and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation partly in section of the same.

Referring nowto thedrawings in detail '1 designates the body of the gun formed to provide a barrel 2 projecting from the forward end of the body and provided with a relatively large bore 3. r The body 1 contiguous to the rear end of the bore circuniferentially enlarged to provide a chamber 4 to accommodate the projecting mechanism of the gun. At the rear of the chamber 4 the body of the gun is formed with a relatively small bore 5, while above the chamber 4 is formed a chamber 6 in which the retractor mechanism for the projector is mounted. Formed in one side of the barrel 2 and opening into the bore 3 at the rear end of the latter is a loading port 7 whereby darts or other projectiles may be fed into the barrel of the gun.

Counter-sunk in the wall of the chamber 4 at diametrically opposite points are guide rods 8 having the forward end terminating short of the front end of the chamber 4 and formed with guide eyes 9 respectively. Slidably mounted within the guide eyes 9 are the legs of a substantially U-shaped frame 10 and fastened to the outer ends of the legs of the frame 10 is a projector 11 which, in the present instance, is in the form of a circular plate or disk. This plate or disk 11 of the projector is capable of sliding movement within the chamber 4 and is of a diameter approximately equal to the corresponding dimension of the chamber 4.

Mounted in the small bore 5 and suitably secured therein is a cylinder 12 in which is mounted for rectilinear movement a piston l3. Interposed between the piston 13 and the rear end of the cylinder 12 is an expansion spring 14. The piston 13 is connected with the interconnecting member of the frame 10 by means of a rod 15.

By means of this construction it will be seen that when the frame 10 is pulled back within the chamber 4 the piston 13 will be moved rearwardly within the cylinder 12 thereby compressing the spring 14 so that when the frame 10 is released the spring will react to actuate the projector 11 forwardly within the chamber 4 with the effect to expel the missile from the barrel of the gun.

The cylinder 12 the piston 13 therein the spring 14and the connecting rod 15 constitute the power mechanisnifor operating the projector 11. Itis conceivable however. that other power mechanimn may be employed.

In the present instance the re tractor mechanism for drawing the projector 11 back against the action of the spring 14 embodies a crank shaft 16 journaled in the upper portion of the chamber 6 and having one end projecting through said chamber and equipped with a handle 17. The crank portion of the shaft 16 is arranged within the chamber 6 and connected to such crank portion is one end of a retractor rod 18, the other end of which projects into the chamber l. The end of the rod 18 within the chamber a; is formed to provide an eye 19 and a hook 520. The eye 19 is connected with one end of a guide rod 21 that slides within a guide 22 mounted in the upper portion of the barrel above the bore 3.

When the crank of the shaft 16 is in its forward position the guide rod 21 in the guide 22 acts to hold the hook 20 in engagement with the cross piece of the frame 10 and as the crank shaft 16 is rotated under the action of the handle 17 the rod 18 is pulled backwardly thereby retracting the projector against the action of the spring 14. When the shaft 16 has completed one half revolution the crank portion thereof is in such position as to disengage the hook 20 from the connecting member of the frame 10 thereby permitting the spring 1 1 to react and slide the projector forwardly within the chamber 1 to expel the missile.

It will be seen that as long as the missiles are fed into the barrel through the loading port 7 and the crank shaft 16 revolved under the action of the handle 17, such missiles will be projected through the barrel of the gun.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown my improved gun as mounted upon a tripod 23 of suitable construction, and in this connection I wish it to be understood that the gun may be mounted upon a wheel carriage or any other suitable support.

In the drawings I have shown two forms of darts indicated by the reference numbers 2 1 and 25 respectively either of which may be used in connection with the gun. The darts are of any preferred construction and, if desired, balls or other forms of missiles may be employed in lieu of the darts.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that I have provided a gun whereby the missiles or projectiles may be discharged without the use of powder or other explosive agents thereby enabling the gun to operate rapidly, silently and at a minimum expense.

In the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings I have shown the gun mounted upon a wheeled carriage 26 and in this form of the invention, the gun barrel 2 is relatively long and is formed with loading ports at diametrically opposite points. Arranged upon opposite sides of the gun barrel is a modified construction of feeding devices for carrying the projectiles into position to be delivered through the port 7 to the barrel of the gun. In the present i11- stance, each feeding device embodies a conveyer in the form of an endless chain 27 trained over a sprocket wheel 28 mounted upon the stub shaft adjacent to the outer end of the barrel and a sprocket wheel 29 fixed upon the crank shaft 16 at the outer side of the body of the gun. Each chain 27 travels within a housing 30 which is appropriately secured to the side of the gun barrel and is formed with a mouth 31 adjacent to the outer end thereof by means of which the projectiles may be delivered to the conveyer. Each endless chain is equipped with buckets or carriers 32 spaced apart equal distances and designed, in the travel of the chain, to carry the projectiles from the delivery mouth 31 to the corresponding ports 7.

These ports 7 are so arranged that immedi:

ately upon the projectiles alining with such mouth such projectiles will gravitate through the port 7 into the gun barrel. The buckets or carriers on one chain are so arranged rel atively to those on the other chain as to cause the projectiles to be delivered to the bore of the gun from the chains alternately.

It will be seen that as long as the handle 17 is rotated within the crank shaft 16, the conveyer chain will operate to deliver the projectiles to the bore of the gun successively so that the projectiles may be fed into the gun as fast as they are discharged therefrom.

While I have herein shown and described one particular form of my improved gun by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modifications and variations may be made within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. A gun comprising a body formed with a barrel and having a projector chamber at the rear of the barrel, a small chamber at the rear of the projector chamber, a retractor chamber in communication with the projector chamber, a projector in the projector chamber, a spring piston in the small chamber, connecting means between the piston and projector and retractor mechanism in the retractor chamber and having a part projecting into the projector chamber for engaging part of the projector.

2. A gun comprising a body formed with a barrel and having a projector chamber at the rear of the barrel, a piston chamber at the rear of the projector chamber and a retractor chamber above the piston chamber, a projector in the projector chamber, a piston in the piston chamber, a spring in said chamber engaging said piston, a rod connecting the piston with the projector, a crank in the retractor chamber. a rod connected with said crank and having a hook on its end for engaging the projector, guiding means for said rod and a handle exteriorly of the gun and connected With the crank for operating the same.

3. A gun comprising a body formed with a barrel, a number of chambers to the rear of the barrel, projector mechanism in said chambers, retractor mechanism for said projector mechanisms and means for feeding projectiles into the barrel of the gun suc- 1O c'essively, such means including an endless conveyer and means for actuating the same by the retractor mechanism.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

DOMENICO CALARCO. 

